


The Empress

by DeckofDragons



Category: A Hat in Time (Video Game)
Genre: Fix-It, Gen, fight, mentions of gangs and crime lords, mild violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-26
Updated: 2019-12-26
Packaged: 2021-02-25 05:08:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,130
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21970423
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DeckofDragons/pseuds/DeckofDragons
Summary: Hat Kid ain't afraid of some old cat lady even if that cat lady is also a gang leader.
Relationships: Hat Kid & The Empress
Comments: 9
Kudos: 62





	The Empress

**Author's Note:**

> So, Nyakuza Metro had the most disappointing ending since Mass Effect 3. After all that build up and how good the other boss fights in the game are I was a bit salty which is what fueled this fic. So here's some after Christmas violence.
> 
> Also, I don't write fight scenes very often but I can't get better at them if I avoid them in my fics, another factor to me writing this fic.

The metro was the busiest, noisiest place Hat Kid had encountered on this planet so far. All the food carts smelled _fantastic_ , the first day she’d come down here, she’d eaten until she got sick. And almost everyone was cats! And giant cats pulled all the trains. It was all _very_ exciting stuff.

But she wasn’t finding any Time Pieces. Her ship’s sensors said they were down here, nine of them to be precise. How they’d gotten underground was a mystery but they _were_ down here. She just had to find them but _how_ when not even her hat was picking up on their location? That had to mean they were surrounded by something her hat couldn’t sense through. How lame?

“Did you hear about the shiny things the Empress is supposedly collecting?”

Hat Kid perked up to see a small group of cats walking by her bench, chatting; gossiping just a tad too loudly as they tended to do. The term ‘shiny things’ more often than not meant Time Pieces.

“I heard she’d been being secretive about something but not what,” one of the other cats said as Hat Kid slid off the bench to follow them as discreetly as possible. “So what are they?”

“No one knows,” the first cat replied. “Just that they’re shiny and fell from the sky.” Bingo! Time Pieces! “Her uh… employees supposedly brought them to her and she’s keeping them in her vault now.” Surrounded by thick metal, that would explain why the top hat couldn’t find them.

“What do you think she’s going to do with them?”

“I don’t know, sell them maybe.”

The group of cats speculated for a bit, not getting anywhere with it, before changing topics. Hat Kid left them as they went down one tunnel and she continued onto an ice cream vendor she’d just spotted. She’d have to find out more about this Empress lady… ice cream first though.

With a mix of intentional eavesdropping, asking the right questions to the right people and good old fashioned connecting the dots, Hat Kid learned a few things. The Empress owned the jewelry shop in the Main Station. It mostly served as a front to disguise criminal activity though. No one ever said it outright but the way people in the know talked about her and obviously _feared_ her made it pretty clear that she was a crime boss. And she was powerful enough that no one in the metro wanted to trifle with her. One of the cats Hat Kid had talked to even outright told her _not_ to ever get on the Empress’ bad side, saying that people who did tended to ‘disappear’.

Hat Kid wasn’t afraid though. She’d fought a mafia boss, a movie making disco penguin – okay maybe that one wasn’t very impressive sounding – a soul eating ghost who was now her BFF and Mustache Girl all powered up by the Time Pieces. (Also, a haunted toilet but she’d rather not list that as one of her achievements and it hadn’t even been hard, just gross.) So, she wasn’t going to be intimated by some cat lady who sold jewelry even if said cat lady _did_ basically run the metro.

In fact, after another break for ice cream – it was _so_ good, how was she supposed to resist? – she strode right into the jewelry store. It was… just like every other store that sold jewelry with nothing special or unique about it; clean white walls and tiled floors, jewelry displayed prettily in glass cases. Honestly, it was a bit disappointing after all the hushed whispers she’d heard about the place.

The Empress was at least a striking figure. Tall and regal both in stature and clothing, she was a very pretty kitty. Hat Kid immediately wanted to pet her despite the less than friendly look on her face.

“Hello,” Hat Kid said with a wave as she strode up to the counter.

The Empress looked down at her as if looking at a lesser being. “I don’t think this is the right place for you kid. If you’re lost go back out and to the center square because I’m _not_ helping you find your parents.”

“No, I’m pretty sure this is the right place. I heard you have something that belongs to me. The shiny hour glass things. So could you please give them to me.” There was no harm in asking, was there? Maybe for once it would actually work too.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Or not. Why did everyone of this planet have to be like this? It just made things harder for everyone.

“I need them to get back home. So please just give them to me. Save us both the trouble.” Hat Kid held up a hand as if she expected to be obeyed. Such tactics worked sometimes but… not this time.

“They’re mine now kid, so I suggest you find some other way to get home unless you want to ensure you’re never able to return at all. If you know what I mean.” The Empress lifted a hand to flash out her claws as if that were somehow scary.

Hat Kid sighed and rolled her eyes as she turned and walked out. She’d just come back later and steal them, no need to get violent and embarrass an old lady in front of all her goons. She’d have to find a way into the vault though. The door behind the counter _probably_ led to it but it was probably locked so… she’d figure things out when she got there.

The metro was less busy and crowded at night but not by a whole lot. The trains ran all night apparently. All of the food carts were closed but a few new ones were open… it’d be nice to try them but Hat Kid didn’t have the time. The jewelry store was closed too.

Getting in was easy, there was a vent that led right from the roof to the store area. One day Hat Kid would no longer be able to fit in vents and air ducts and would have to find other ways of sneaking into buildings but today was not that day.

After dropping to the floor she ran over and vaulted over the counter. The back door was indeed locked. But so far locks on the planet were easy to pick. This one quickly proved to be the same.

She pocketed her tools to open the door and peek inside. There were piles and piles of gold inside, glittering in the light cast by the Time Pieces. Bingo! Vault and Time Pieces found. Hat Kid didn’t even need to work much for them.

She pulled the door closed as she went in. She was tempted to take some gold but… that would be wrong, she was only here to take back what had been stolen from her. So with a sigh, she grabbed the first Time Piece. She placed the second one on top, the third on top of that one. Getting them all into her grasp for the port back to the ship was going to be difficult but whatever she was…

The door slammed open. She jumped at the bang, dropping the Time Pieces - none of them broke thankfully – before snapping around.

The Empress stood in the open doorway, glaring at her, anger in her eyes. “Why I am not surprised? Of course a cocky brat like you would try to sneak in. Normally I wouldn’t murder a child, even an ugly one like you, but you leave me no choice.” She stepped in and pulled the door closed behind her as she spoke, relocking it, trapping them inside together.

Hat Kid pulled out her umbrella. “Well you’re an ugly old peck-neck.”

“Eh, cute, a little foul mouth.” The Empress shifted her weight before lunging, flashing her claws. Hat Kid hopped to the side, almost slipping on the gold coins as they clinked and shifted under her feet. It nearly cost her, her chance to whack the Empress with the umbrella.

The Empress gasped more in surprise than pain. It quickly turned into a hiss though. “How _dare_ you?” She grabbed the umbrella by the tip and yanked it up. Hat Kid refused to let go though, yanking back. It was a tug of war that Hat Kid was doomed to lose though so let go suddenly, taking the Empress by surprise, making her almost lose her balance on the uneven ground. Hat Kid took advantage of this by kicking her in the shin and taking back her umbrella.

Before she could respond, Hat Kid jumped back and switched her hat to the brewing hat. She summoned a potion and tossed it. The Empress hopped to the side to avoid it, her eyes widening at the explosion for a moment before she went back on the attack.

Hat Kid really didn’t want to risk having her umbrella snatched away. So she focused on dodging. Switching to the time stop hat, she slowed time, allowing her to get another hit in before jumping back as the flow of time resumed normal speed.

From there, Hat Kid focusing on dodging, getting a hit in whenever she could. She took a couple starches but nothing major. The Empress grew more and more frustrated as time went on. Until eventually…

“I’ve had enough,” she hissed as she drew a pecking _sword_! In the same motion, she slashed at Hat Kid with it. It would’ve slit her throat if Hat Kid hadn’t raised her umbrella to block it. Something in the umbrella broke, another cut and another block and something cracked. No more of that, Hat Kid needed this thing.

She used the time stop hat again instead to avoid the next slash, jumping over it and onto the Empress’ head, being sure to kick down at her face while she was at it. As time went back to normal, the Empress cursed and swore, slashing at Hat Kid again even as she jumped away. The sword hit this time, grazing her arm, cutting through the sleeve and drawing blood.

She switched to the sprint hat to give her more speed so she could dodge better. And so the fight continued. Getting hits in was harder now but not impossible. The Empress’ growing rage only made her more predictable, making her easier to dodge even as her attacks grew more violent and swift.

The Empress was slowly but surely wearing out; her own violent assault as well as each whack brought her a bit closer to defeat. Hat Kid was tiring as well though. All it would take was one wrong move and her life would be over. But she was confident in herself, she had this fight in the bag. … She had to end it soon though. Just a little bit more.

Using the time stop hat again she got around behind the Empress and jumped up. Right as the hat’s effect wore off, she whacked the Empress in the back of the head as hard as she could. The umbrella broke in half with a loud crack accompanied by a pained grunt from the Empress. Oh no! Without the umbrella, Hat Kid had no weapon and that meant…

The Empress tittered for a second before falling over. “You’ll… pay for that…” she managed to mumble before landing on her face with a clatter of coins.

Panting hard, Hat Kid looked down at her, a smile spreading across her face. She won! Another victory! But… she glanced at the umbrella, well the half still in her hand, her smile faded somewhat. The other half was on the floor, next to the Empress’ unconscious body. Hat Kid picked it up too; it had served her well so it deserved a proper funeral.

Next, she gathered up the Time Pieces. Balancing them precariously in one hand and holding the broken bits of umbrella under her arm, she pulled out her phone and had it beam her back up to her ship. She was going to brag to her BFF Snatcher about beating up a crime boss later, as well as anyone else would listen.

She’d have to be careful if she ever wanted to come back to the metro though since the Empress would have it out for her now. Even if it was her own fault she got beat up, if she’d just given Hat Kid the Time Pieces when she’d _asked_ politely for them, none of this would’ve been necessary. But whatever, she’d been difficult and now she’d been defeated by a child, just like everyone else who’d crossed Hat Kid on this planet. All Hat Kid cared about was having her Time Pieces back.

**Author's Note:**

> The umbrella breaks because I was thinking that that's what leads to her getting the baseball bat.


End file.
